The IRC is a ten-member body created by the voters of New York State to fairly and equitably redraw Congressional and State Legislature lines. Public participation in drawing these districts is critical to ensuring that communities throughout New York continue to have the strongest voice possible to express their preferences. When voters with similar interests are drawn into a district together, their voices multiply giving them a greater opportunity to express their views, elect candidates of their choice and hold their leaders accountable.
The Independent Redistricting Commission of New York State is holding a series of virtual public meetings to solicit input from community members as we embark on this historic process. The community-specific dates for public meetings are as follows (you can view the missed meetings on the YouTube link below):
- Tuesday July 20th, 2pm: Nassau/Suffolk Counties
- Thursday July 22nd, 2pm: Queens County
- Monday July 26th, 2pm: Bronx/New York Counties
- Thursday July 29th, 2pm: Kings and Richmond Counties
- Monday August 2nd, 2pm: Mid-Hudson Valley/Capital Region
- Thursday August 5th, 2pm: North Country/Mohawk Valley Regions
- Monday August 9th, 2pm: Southern Tier/Central NY Regions
- Thursday August 12th, 2pm: Finger Lakes/Western NY Regions
The Commission is seeking public comment and participation from New York residents. Visit www.nyirc.gov to sign up for updates and register to give public comments, suggested maps, and written comment. If anyone misses or cannot make a public meeting, they are welcome to submit written comments and maps through email at submissions@nyirc.gov.
The Commission is seeking input from local residents as it embarks on this process. This includes, but is not limited to: how do you as a resident feel about the current lines outlining your district? What would you like the IRC to know about your community of interest? Participants will have up to three (3) minutes of speaking time. All meetings will be recorded for future public record and will be livestreamed as they occur. You may watch the meetings live on our website or on our Facebook page- https://www.facebook.com/nysirc. Recordings will be uploaded to our YouTube page.